800-yr-old Crusader Body Beheaded in an Irish Church Vault

Local media in Dublin, Ireland are reporting a shocking story of a church dating back to the early Middle Ages which suffered an attack by vandals. Some mummies in its crypt have been desecrated including the famous 800-year-old cadaver known as the Crusader Mummy, which has been decapitated and the head has been stolen. Understandably, the community is deeply upset.

The vandalism and desecration took place in the Church of St. Michan’s that dates from the 11th century AD and was originally a Viking chapel . It is still a place of worship and is also open to visitors who are drawn to the crypt which holds a number of mummies. According to the BBC, the “discovery was made as a tour guide was preparing to open the church for visitors.”

Mummies in the St. Michan’s Church crypt. (Jennifer Boyer/ CC BY 2.0 )

The Archdeacon of the church has expressed his anger and sadness at the break-in and desecration. In particular, he has expressed outrage over the decapitation of a cadaver. He said he was “shocked that someone would target this ancient burial place and desecrate the remains of those lying within it. Not only have these individuals desecrated the sacred crypt but they have destroyed these historic mummies which have been preserved in St Michan’s for hundreds of years.”

Read the full story on Ancient Origins

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Comments 2

  1. Elizabeth McGinnis says:

    Sad ..sad..sad..disappointed in people who would do something so disrespectful

  2. AJ Lau says:

    How truly disgusting.